Method and nodes for testing a node

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11337089-B2
Application number	US-201715752703-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2017
Priority date	Oct 26, 2017
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

The embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a first node (101) for enabling testing of at least a part (105, 108) of the first node (101) in a deployed network. The first node (101) determines that at least a part (105, 108) of the first node (101) should be tested, and determines a direction in which to transmit or receive a test signal (200) to or from a second node (103). The first node (101) transmits the test signal (200) OTA in the determined direction to the second node (103) if a transmitter of the first node (101) should be tested. The first node (101) receives the test signal (200) OTA in the determined direction from the second node (103) if a receiver of the first node (101) should be tested.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for testing a first node, the method comprising:
the first node receiving a request for emulating a fully loaded cell;
as a result of receiving the request, the first node making a decision that (i) a transmitter of the first node should be tested or (ii) a receiver of the first node should be tested;
obtaining test subject information, wherein the test subject information indicates i) that the transmitter of the first node should be tested and/or ii) that the receiver of the first node should be tested;
obtaining position information indicating a position of a second node with respect to a position of the first node;
before transmitting or receiving a test signal, determining a direction in which to transmit the test signal or to receive the test signal based on the obtained position information;
(i) if the test subject information indicates that the transmitter of the first node should be tested:
the first node transmitting the test signal, over the air (OTA), in the indicated direction;
the first node receiving measurement data transmitted by the second node that received and measured the transmitted test signal, wherein the measurement data transmitted by the second node indicates a characteristic of the received test signal received by the second node; and
the first node comparing the received measurement data transmitted by the second node to data indicating a determined characteristic of the transmitted test signal transmitted by the first node; and

(ii) if the test subject information indicates that the receiver of the first node should be tested:
the first node receiving, OTA, in the indicated direction, the test signal transmitted by the second node; and
the first node transmitting to the second node measurement data indicating a characteristic of the received test signal received by the first node, wherein the second node is configured to compare the received measurement data transmitted by the first node to data indicating a determined characteristic of the transmitted test signal transmitted by the second node.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the test signal comprises buffered data and test data in resource blocks,
the buffered data is scheduled in at least one resource block, and
the test data is scheduled in at least other resource block which is not used by the buffered data.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a position in which the first node should be located when transmitting or receiving the test signal; and
moving the first node to the determined position after determining that the determined position is different from a current position of the first node.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first node is a base station and the second node is a user equipment.

5. A method for testing a first node, the method comprising:
obtaining test subject information, wherein the test subject information indicates i) that a transmitter of the first node should be tested and/or ii) that a receiver of the first node should be tested;
obtaining position information indicating a position of a second node with respect to a position of the first node;
before transmitting or receiving a test signal, determining a direction in which to transmit the test signal or to receive the test signal based on the obtained position information;
(i) if the test subject information indicates that the transmitter of the first node should be tested:
the second node receiving, over the air (OTA), in the indicated direction, the test signal transmitted by the first node; and
the second node transmitting to the first node measurement data indicating a characteristic of the received test signal received by the second node,
wherein the first node is configured to compare the received measurement data transmitted by the second node to data indicating a determined characteristic of the transmitted test signal transmitted by the first node; and

(ii) if the test subject information indicates that the receiver of the first node should be tested:
the second node transmitting to the first node the test signal, OTA, in the indicated direction;
the second node receiving measurement data transmitted by the first node that received and measured the transmitted test signal, wherein the measurement data transmitted by the first node indicates a characteristic of the received test signal received by the first node; and
the second node comparing the received measurement data transmitted by the first node to data indicating a determined characteristic of the transmitted test signal transmitted by the second node, wherein

the first node is configured to receive a request for emulating a fully loaded cell, and
as a result of receiving the request, the first node is configured to make a decision that (i) the transmitter of the first node should be tested or (ii) the receiver of the first node should be tested.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein
the test signal comprises buffered data and test data in resource blocks,
the buffered data is scheduled in at least one resource block, and
the test data is scheduled in at least other resource block which is not used by the buffered data.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
transmitting, to the first node, a request to stop transmitting the test signal.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
obtaining first node position information indicating the first node's position, and wherein the test signal is received in the direction of the first node's position.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first node is a base station and the second node is a user equipment.

10. A first node, the first node being adapted to:
receive a request for emulating a fully loaded cell;
as a result of receiving the request, make a decision that (i) a transmitter of the first node should be tested or (ii) a receiver of the first node should be tested;
obtain test subject information, wherein the test subject information indicates i) that the transmitter of the first node should be tested and/or ii) that the receiver of the first node should be tested;
obtain position information indicating a position of a second node with respect to a position of the first node;
before transmitting or receiving a test signal, determine a direction in which to transmit the test signal or to receive the test signal based on the obtained position information;
(i) if the test subject information indicates that the transmitter of the first node should be tested:
the first node transmitting the test signal over the air (OTA) in the indicated direction;
the first node receiving measurement data transmitted by the second node that received and measured the transmitted test signal, wherein the measurement data transmitted by the second node indicates a characteristic of the received test signal received by the second node; and
the first node comparing the received measurement data transmitted by the second node to data indicating a determined characteristic of the transmitted test signal transmitted by the first node; and

(ii) if the test subject information indicates that the receiver of the first node should be tested;
the first node receiving, OTA in the indicated direction, the test signal transmitted by the second node; and
the first node transmitting to the second node measurement data indicating a characteristic of the received test signal received by the first node, wherein the second node is configured to compare the received measurement data transmitted by the first node to data indicating a determined characteristic of the transmitted test signal transmitted by the second node.

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Elfström Torbjörn
• Axmon Joakim
• Chapman Thomas
• Sienkiewicz Esther

Classifications

• H04B17/29

  Performance testing · CPC title

• H04B17/191

  Over-the-air testing · CPC title

• H04B17/18 Primary

  Monitoring during normal operation · CPC title

• H04B17/24

  with feedback of measurements to the transmitter · CPC title

• H04W24/08 Primary

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title